O’side hires consultants for I-5 plans

OCEANSIDE — Questions about freeway expansion plans — that will relocate 18 Oceanside homes and forever change the I-5 corridor — prompted City Council to OK $80,000 to hire consultants to review the draft EIR of the freeway expansion project in a 4-1 vote on Sept. 22. Councilman Jerry Kern voted no.
“I asked questions I couldn’t get answered,” Councilman Chuck Lowery said. “I’m concerned if we don’t do this we won’t have answers.”
“I think it is critical to have all the parts understood,” Councilman Jack Feller said.
Consultants will look at impacts to the 3.3-mile stretch of I-5 that runs through Oceanside and the effect of additional traffic that will be diverted to the city. The toll of traffic, noise, air quality, drainage and effects on the environment will be analyzed.
Justification of the project and property impacts will also be examined.
“If we do not get our input here, forever we have to be silenced,” Councilwoman Esther Sanchez said. “We cannot later raise any issues legally.”
Oceanside will pay for consultants through the
city’s unassigned Major Thoroughfare Fund and share some of the consultant costs with the city of Solana Beach, which is also looking into I-5 expansion impacts.